Match: Serie A
Fixture: AC Milan VS Pisa
Local Kick-off Time: 19:45, October 24th
Handicap Prediction:
Pisa +1.5 (Asian Handicap)
Home Win + Draw (European Handicap)
Predicted Scores: 1-0, 1-1, 2-1
Predicted Total Goals: 1, 2, 3
Comprehensive Analysis:
AC Milan has delivered an outstanding performance this season, with 5 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in 7 games, accumulating 16 points to temporarily top the Serie A standings. Their results include matches against strong teams like Bologna and Napoli. Looking ahead, they will face another two Serie A powerhouses—Atalanta and the in-form Roma—in their next two games. Therefore, AC Milan is determined to secure all 3 points at home in this match against newly-promoted side Pisa.
As a newcomer to Serie A, Pisa has a relatively luxurious squad with a total value of over €70 million. However, many of its players are competing in a top-five European league for the first time. The team’s head coach, Alberto Gilardino, previously managed Genoa and is more experienced in relegation battles. It is clear that Pisa’s goal this season is to quickly integrate the team, improve individual players’ abilities, and build a squad with certain competitive strength. Currently, though, Pisa sits at the bottom of the Serie A table and is still winless after 7 rounds, making relegation its primary task this season.
Summary:
The initial Asian Handicap for this match gives AC Milan -1.5. Since there is little head-to-head history between the two teams, we need to judge the strength of this handicap by comparing with other teams. First, in AC Milan’s shocking loss to another newly-promoted side Cremonese in the first round, Milan was also given a -1.5 handicap. Currently, Cremonese ranks 10th in the table, and its performance and strength have proven to be better than Pisa’s. Second, Napoli also gave Pisa a -1.5 handicap in their recent home match against Pisa, while AC Milan even had a -0.5 handicap when facing Napoli at home. To sum up, there is a clear ranking gap between the top-ranked AC Milan and the bottom-ranked Pisa. However, Milan’s current handicap strength is moderate, so it is advisable to back Pisa to avoid a heavy defeat at least.
